Impact visits Thunder Friday
July 14, 2005 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Montreal Impact News Release
The Impact is playing its 13th game of the season on Friday, July 15, against the Thunder in Minnesota. (8 pm, RDS, FSW)
The Impact remains undefeated (8-0-4) in 12 games, which ties a club record for the longest undefeated streak, established last season (also 8-0-4). Montreal is the only undefeated team in the United Soccer Leagues First Division. The Impact allowed only five goals this season and is first in the league in goals against.
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THE IMPACT'S LAST GAME
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Impact midfielder Mauro Biello scored two goals as the Impact beat the Richmond Kickers 2-0, on Wednesday, July 6, in front of 10,503 fans at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
The Kickers were then in first place in the standings and the victory allowed the Impact to come within one point of Richmond.
It was goalkeeper Andrew Olivieri's first shutout of the season, in three starts. It was his third win.
Impact starters Greg Sutton, Adam Braz, Gabriel Gervais, Sandro Grande, Patrick Leduc and Ali Gerba were unavailable for the game. They were with the Canadian national team at the Gold Cup tournament being held in the United States. They returned to the Impact Wednesday, following Canada's 2-1 win against Cuba, Tuesday. The Canadian team did not qualify for the quarterfinal round.
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IMPACT PLAYERS IN THE GOLD CUP TOURNAMENT
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Five of the six Impact players called up by the Canadian national team were in the starting eleven for the first game against Costa Rica, July 7: goalkeeper Greg Sutton, defender Adam Braz, midfielders Sandro Grande and Patrick Leduc, and forward Ali Gerba. Defender Gabriel Gervais was sidelined with a groin injury. Canada lost 1-0.
On July 9 against the United States, Sutton, Braz, Gervais and Leduc started the game. Grande and Gerba came off the bench in the second half. Canada lost 2-0.
In the third and final game of the round-robin, on July 12, Canada won 2-1 against Cuba. Sutton, Braz, Gervais, Gerba started the game and played 90 minutes. Grande was also in the starting eleven but was substituted in the beginning of the second half. Forward Ali Gerba scored the first goal of the game.
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PLAYER MOVES
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The Montreal Impact announced on Monday the signing of forwards Carlos Garcia and Rachid Madkour for the remainder of the 2005 season.
Garcia is a 24 year-old striker from Colombia who has been loaned to the Impact by the Baltimore Blast, a Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) club. Last year, Garcia played with the Virginia Beach Mariners of the United Soccer Leagues First Division. He finished the season with nine assists, the second most in the league. He also scored five goals for a total of 19 points. With the Blast, he scored a goal and added three assists before suffering a serious knee injury on November 12. He underwent surgery a few days later and has now made a complete recovery. He will be available for the game in Minnesota.
Madkour is 28 years old. Originally from Morocco, this forward has played in the Moroccan first division from 1995 to 2000. He also played on the Moroccan Junior National Team from 1996-1998. Since he s been in Quebec, he has played for several clubs in the first division of the senior men s Quebec Elite Soccer League. Earlier this year, he played a few games for the Laval Dynamites of the Canadian Professional Soccer League. On April 24 with the Impact, he came off the bench in the second half of an exhibition game played against the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM).
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HONORS FOR IMPACT PLAYERS
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Forward Mauro Biello and defender Nevio Pizzolitto were named to the Team of the Week in the United Soccer Leagues First Division.
Biello scored two goals in a 2-0 Impact win against the Richmond Kickers, on July 6, who was then on top of USL D1 standings.
Pizzolitto also played a strong game in defence, helping his teammates shutout the Kickers.
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VACHON PUBLIC PRACTICES
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As part of the Vachon Public Practices, the Impact will be in La Prairie (August 3 at 7 pm) and in St-Filix-de-Valois, in the Lanaudihre region (August 23 at 7 pm). The entire team and coaching staff will be in attendance. The event will include autograph sessions with the players and prizes.
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NEXT GAMES
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Montreal will play a two-game series against the Toronto Lynx, Friday, July 22 in Toronto (7:30 pm), and Sunday, July 24 at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex (4 pm, CJAD, CKAC).
USL First Division Stories from July 14, 2005
- Silverbacks women look to bounce back - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Special Group Ticket Offers for Sunderland - Seattle Sounders
- Battery Set For Road test - Charleston Battery
- Rhinos To Host MetroStars in US Open Cup Play - Rochester Rhinos
- Whitecaps face big weekend - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Kickers Set For Re-Match Against Charleston This Sunday - Richmond Kickers
- Impact visits Thunder Friday - Montreal Impact
- Z104 to host post-game party - Virginia Beach Mariners
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